5 Month Infant Starved and Left to Die by His Parents

Little Benjamin Sargent was left without food or water for eight days. He was found dead & secured in his car seat. When his body was discovered by police his eyes were staring ahead and fists clenched.

At a hearing for the parents, Tracy D. Hermann, 21, and James E. Sargent, 23, Kevin Lyons said, "It's the worst case of child neglect we have seen since the turn of this century." Lyons is hoping for the death penalty.

Both are charged with capital murder for their son's death. They could both serve 100 years for his death through their abandonment. He weighed 8 pounds at birth and weighed only 10 pounds at the time of his death.

When I read this article I cried. article goes on to say the parents played video games. and acted annoyed when questioned by police.i truely believe they should be slowly tortured to death ... BTW thanks Cpt Jane

I looked here and didnt see anything about it. But the more coverage this gets the pressure is put on the prosucuters and the goverement to moniter small children. how many children have to fall though the cracks before something gets done to make sure children are properly cared for after returning home with parents. if at 5 months old the child had only gained 2 lbs someone else should have noticed. Children have shot schedules that should have to be more publicy track to make sure children are being cared for.I had a premature child and it was so hard just to get him to gain weight. The doctors were always on my to try to get him to eat more.. Where was this childs doctor?? If social serviced tracked all births this might happen less. Even 1 child lost like this is unacceptable. Sorry to rant this just hits close to my heart.

I remember recently going through a string of what seemed like daily SN submissions of cruelty to little ones....please...not again. IMHO I don't see how people can believe that way deep down, people are basically good and that society evolves to higher moralilty when we're capable of such atrocities. IMHO that is.

That's all we need, another government agency watching us, telling us how to live. We the people should have seen something was wrong with kid, and reported it or done something about it. As for the parents? They have to be mental to have done that to a kid, their kid even.

It is a great tragedy. The poor kid must have really suffered. I do not understand these "parents". I however fail to see how torturing the parents will make things better. By stooping down to their level we make monsters of ourselves. I understand and share your anger and pain when I hear of such things but obviously these parents are really f*ck*d up; what's our excuse if we do the same?

It's not so much about revenge as it is about preventing it's recurrence.

The thinking is that if Jarvell and Marsha AverageNut see in the news that these two received a nasty punishment they may think twice about playing video games instead of feeding their baby.

Personally I'd be less likely to do something like that if I knew the penalty was more harsh than a couple of years in jail, were I inclined to do this myself. Then again, I think drawing and quartering is in order here. It's fast, but not TOO fast. :)

Personal observation: People in their teens and 20's are very selfish nowadays, far more selfish than in the past. This type of "I'm important" mentality often leads to child abuse.

"Don't bug mama, I'm playing video games and watching Oprah."<disgust>

"Personal observation: People in their teens and 20's are very selfish nowadays, far more selfish than in the past. This type of "I'm important" mentality often leads to child abuse." aardvark

And I thought only I felt like this, in my teens I cared way to much a cried about cruilty every day I just do not see this at all in kids today, they are so self-centered, everything important revolves around them.

Teens had children more so when I was young and I never heard any of this in my area.

But I must say this babies should be looked in on until they are at least a year old, so if a parent is abusive or neglecting or even unwell after giving birth, it can be dealt with.

"The 'mother' was in Iowa, where she had gone to see a male boyfriend she found over the internet. She told police that caring for her baby Benjamin was not her duty and that it was James' responsibility. Before heading to Iowa on the day before Benjamin was found dead, Tracy Hermann said she looked at the baby in the crib and presumed he was sleeping so she said she stuck a bottle between the baby and the side of the carseat so that he woke up he could grab it and feed himself if he was hungry. In case the court missed it earlier, Benjamin Sargent was five months old.

Tracy Hermann also has a daughter, almost 3, who Tracy Hermann seems to have 'given away' to a family member. A shelter care hearing on that matter now pends in the circuit court because I am also seeking to remove her permanently and forever from any contact with Tracy Hermann."

i totally agree with you. Let them rot the same way that poor little soul did. wittine "That's all we need, another government agency watching us, telling us how to live." There should have been social services watching out for this little one, making regular checks along with a doctor and nurse. Who let Benjamin down the most? If anything, there should be a government or independent watchdog overlooking the gods , sorry, social services.Time to post the comment before my emotions get the better of me and i begin to rant.

Im not asking a agency to dictate how we raise our children. Just look out to make sure they are properly being cared for. Children are born and until they go to school no one really knows about them except family friends and doctors. This woman had already left to go to Wisc.. Lets just say that she totally cut off from her family and moved leaving the babies body buried somewhere not to be found maybe for years . Where ever she moved those people would have never even know she had a child.. If she never registered for a social security number then even less people know this child existed.. Im going on here its just annoys me how everyone assume goverment is bad when they are just trying to protect OUR FURTURE!!!!

I want to reply to the comment on teen and 20 something parents. I am 23 years old and I am the LOVING RESPONSIBLE parent to 4, yes four...wonderful children. I agree some twenty year olds are very selfish, but I do not think this should be a stereotype. I know 40 year olds who are very selfish as well. I think it really depends on the person. I do not think that age alone can make someone selfish or a bad parent.

On the topic of this post... What a terrible disgusting thing that has happened here. I can not imagine sitting through 8 days of screaming while a baby died in the other room. These people must be among the most cruel people ever. My heart goes out to this poor child. I hope all the people responsible for this get what they deserve!

I mean, what kind of people are these to do such a thing to a 5 month old baby?There are so many people around who would do anything for a child because of whatever circumstance, but these two selfish tw@ts have theirs and tortures it to death. The poor little thing. So many people could have given this child a safe and loving home."Eyes open and fists clenched." It broke my heart to read this. What must have been going through its mind at the end? It feels bad enough to be hungry, but to be starved of food and liquid is just not on.Poor little baby.:O(

seriously i cant really imagine how they would leave him in the car all this time... is it so much work to take him off the car seat and take him inside the house?? i mean how f**ked up are these two morons, how can they have the heart to leave him there and play f**king video games?i have a 6 month baby girl myself and really everyday i cant wait to finish work to go back and play with her...this is just too sicki hope they are kept in a 1x1meter cage and left to starve to death

Benjamin wasn't left in a car...he was left in the house they lived in. Someone dropped him off and they never took him out of his car seat...someone actually took him, carseat and all, and put him in his crib....sick stuff!